Unleash creativity and tap into the power of wisdom to stay sharp as you age. Explore the role of embodied cognition and flow in achieving success. Learn about the correlation between working memory and running larger companies. Discover the impact of social media on reading habits and changes in storytelling caused by technology. Plus, hear about the admiration between the speakers and the benefits of training at the Flow Research Collective.
Developing wisdom and expertise is crucial for fighting cognitive decline in the second half of life.
Aligning values, beliefs, and passions with one's sense of self ensures fulfillment in the latter half of life.
Engaging in challenging social and creative activities is key to thriving in older adulthood and maintaining cognitive function.
Deep dives
Importance of Peak Performance Aging
Peak performance aging starts young, with the hardest parts of creativity increasing in our 50s, along with the development of empathy and wisdom. Lifelong expertise and wisdom are essential for fighting cognitive decline and diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia.
Solving the Psychological Puzzle of Identity
In order to thrive in the latter half of life, it is crucial to solve the psychological puzzle of identity by aligning one's values, beliefs, and passions with their sense of self. This match between who we are and how we live our lives ensures fulfillment and prevents major problems in our 50s.
The Role of Challenging Social and Creative Activities
Older adults who engage in challenging social and creative activities that produce feelings of mastery and control are the ones who thrive the most. These activities can include engaging in action sports, learning new skills, and finding novel ways to creatively interpret the world, all of which contribute to overall well-being and cognitive function.
Maintaining Curiosity and Zest for Life
As we age, it is important to cultivate and maintain curiosity and zest for life. The speaker emphasizes that curiosity is a personality attribute that keeps us creative and engaged. People tend to lose their curiosity and zest for life as they get older, but the speaker suggests that there are ways to address this decline. Neurochemical changes can impact our curiosity, and low-dose SSRIs and substances like Elle DiPrenil can help maintain dopamine sensitivity and keep our brain functioning at its best. The speaker also mentions that creativity is an essential aspect of adult development, and training it can help reboot our curiosity. Instead of passively consuming culture, we should focus on creating our own culture to nurture our curiosity and maintain vitality.
Physical and Cognitive Health Strategies for Aging Well
To age well, the speaker recommends focusing on physical and cognitive health strategies. On the physical side, it is crucial to train strength, stamina, flexibility, agility, and balance. The speaker emphasizes the importance of training all these aspects simultaneously and being mindful of the prime mover and stabilizer muscles to prevent falls and injuries. For cognitive performance, lifelong learning is essential to stave off cognitive decline and maintain expertise and wisdom. Challenging social and creative activities that provide a sense of mastery and control are crucial for thriving in older adulthood. Flow states, which can be triggered by finding the right balance between challenge and skill, play a significant role in adult development. Flow amplifies learning, growth, and expansion of perspective and empathy. Finally, the speaker highlights the importance of perceived control, which can enhance happiness and longevity. Control is built into flow states, making them valuable for successful aging.
TODAY´S EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FLOW RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Are you an entrepreneur, a leader, or a knowledge worker, who wants to harness the power of flow so you can get more done in less time with greater ease and accomplish your boldest professional goals faster? If you´ve answered this question with “hell yes” then our peak-performance training Zero to Dangerous may be a good fit for you. If this sounds interesting to you all you need to do is click here right now, pop in your application and one of our team members will be in touch with you very soon.
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Get ready to unlock the secrets of peak performance aging and defy the natural aging process with grace!
In this episode, the spotlight is on the captivating world of staying rad as one grows old. The conversation revolves around Steven Kotler's book, "Gnar Country: Growing Old, Staying Rad," and how mindset, exploration, and social engagement can play a critical role in keeping cognitive function sharp.
Listeners will discover how to find the perfect training partner, unleash their creativity, and tap into the power of wisdom. The discussion also explores the fascinating role of embodied cognition and flow in achieving success.
Don't let age hold you back - tune in now to learn how to live your best life at any age!
ABOUT THE EPISODE:
In this episode, you will learn about:
Time Stamps:
00:00 Intro
02:01 The Long Slow Rot Theory
04:52 Steven's Opening Statement For Gnar Country
07:57 The Peak Performance Aging Experiment
12:15 Recovery As You Age
15:17 Developing New Thinking Styles
21:26 Mindset & Aging
24:32 Getting Creative In Your Fifties
27:52 Strategies To Age Well
32:49 Flow Proneness Changes Overtime
35:21 Accessing Flow In Your Later Years
40:40 Action Sports Are Anti-Aging
45:16 Working Memory Is Trainable
50:39 Effects of Short-formed Articles On Aging
53:02 Getting Into Flow State When Reading
55:03 Keeping Curiosity Alive
Steven Kotler’s Social Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenkotler/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KotlerSteven/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/steven_kotler
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-kotler-4305b110/
Gnar Country: https://www.gnarcountry.com/
Flow Research Collective’s Social Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flowresearchcollective
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flowresearchcollective
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowresearchcollective
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@achieveflow
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RiseofSuperman
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefrc_official
Website: https://www.flowresearchcollective.com/
Steven Kotler, the founder and executive director of the Flow Research Collective, is one of the world’s leading experts on human peak performance. He is an award-winning journalist and an author with over ten bestselling books.
Some of his works include: The Art of Impossible, The Future is Faster Than You Think, The Rise of Superman, Stealing Fire, and so much more! Look out for his latest upcoming book, Gnar Country: Growing Old, Staying Rad, where he debunks the old myths about aging and how you can boost your longevity through flow!
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